image: Meaning and Definition of

im•age

Pronunciation: (im'ij), [key]
— n., v., -aged, -ag•ing.
—n.
  1. a physical likeness or representation of a person, animal, or thing, photographed, painted, sculptured, or otherwise made visible.
  2. an optical counterpart or appearance of an object, as is produced by reflection from a mirror, refraction by a lens, or the passage of luminous rays through a small aperture and their reception on a surface.
  3. a mental representation; idea; conception.
  4. a mental representation of something previously perceived, in the absence of the original stimulus.
  5. form; appearance; semblance: We are all created in God's image.
  6. counterpart; copy: That child is the image of his mother.
  7. a symbol; emblem.
  8. the general or public perception of a company, public figure, etc., esp. as achieved by careful calculation aimed at creating widespread goodwill.
  9. a type; embodiment: Red-faced and angry, he was the image of frustration.
  10. a description of something in speech or writing: Keats created some of the most beautiful images in the language.
  11. a figure of speech, esp. a metaphor or a simile.
  12. an idol or representation of a deity: They knelt down before graven images.
  13. the point or set of points in the range corresponding to a designated point in the domain of a given function.
  14. an illusion or apparition.
—v.t.
  1. to picture or represent in the mind; imagine; conceive.
  2. to make an image of; portray in sculpture, painting, etc.
  3. to project (photographs, film, etc.) on a surface: Familiar scenes were imaged on the screen.
  4. to reflect the likeness of; mirror.
  5. to set forth in speech or writing; describe.
  6. to symbolize; typify.
  7. to resemble.
  8. to create an image for (a company, public figure, etc.): The candidate had to be imaged before being put on the campaign trail.
  9. to transform (data) into an exact replica in a different form, as changing digital data to pixels for display on a CRT or representing a medical scan of a body part in digital form.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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